Relay device



Aug. 18, 1925. 1,549,745.

M. D. CHURCH RELAY DE E Filed A 2' 920 tant.

UNITED STATES. PATENT oFFlCE.

MAYNARD D. CHURCH, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

RELAY DEVICE.

Application filed August 2, 1920; Serial 110 400365.

To allwhom tmmy concern:

Be it known that I, MAYNARD D. Cmmon,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, county ofHartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain newand usefulImprovements in a Relay Device, of which the following is aspecification.

This inventionrelates to a relay device and has as its aim to provide adevice of this sort which is simple in construction and eflicient inoperation, and which is particularly sensitive to small variations inphysical forces. The device of the present invention will be describedwith reference to its use in the particular embodiment herein selectedforpurpose of illustration and wherein it is employed to relay themovements of an actuating device to a point more or less dis- It is tobe understood however that the invention is. susceptible of otherembodiments, the present disclosure being byway of example only andtherefore it is not to be taken in-any sense as restrictive.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a-sectional view of thepreferred embodiment of the present invention.

apparatus 11 Referring to the drawing in detail, the

device of the resent invention is shown as belng respons1ve to themovement of an actuating or sending apparatus a: and relays"- suchmovement to an actuating or receiving The particular -construction ofthe apparatus 02 forms no part of the present invention, but by way ofillustration 1t is shown as being in the form of a collap sible diahragm, movementof which may be affected y variations in pressureor'otherwise. T e apparatus 12 is in the form of a pressure esponsivedevice of any. desired or suitable type.

Referrmg now more particularly .to the construction of the device of thepresentinvention, an denotes generally a fluid pressure responsivemechanism, hereinshown for examp1e,"= as having a cylinder 10 withinwhich operates a sprin the movement of. this piston being effected v bychange of pressure within the chamber 12 of-the cylinder. 7) denotesgenerally a valve mechamsm having a valve casing 13 pro- Y vided with afluid inlet port 15, a drain opening 16 and aport .17 positioned vertically between the ports .15 and16." The chamber 12 of the mechanism? 01and the valve chamber within" the casing 13 are in domniunication witheach other through loaded piston 11 the port 17 and the tube 18. Thefluid inlet 15 is connected with a suitable source of fluid pressure,this source not being shown as it may be of any appropriate kind.Closely fitting within the valve casing 13 is a valve stem 19 carrying avalve head 20, the stem 19 being reduced back of the head as shown so asto permit of communication between the port 15 and the port 17 when thevalveis lowered slightly from position shown in the figure.

Pivotally secured to the valve stem 19 and the stem of thepiston 11 is arod or floating lever a and this lever is connected at one end to theactuating or sending apparatus m which, as stated, comprises acollapsible diaphragm. Variations in pressure of the fluid within thechamber 12 and tube 18 are communicated to the apparatus y through thepipe 22 branching from the tube 18.

The operation of the device is briefly as follows v Assuming that theparts are in normal position and that there is no leakage, the valvehead 20 will be in a position where it blanks .the port 17 and as longas this head remains in this position the fluid pressure within thechamber 12 will remain uniform. Upon an increase of pressure within thediaphragm m the floating lever 12 will be actuated and the head 20" ofthe valve will be raised so:that the port'17 will be uncovered whereuponthe fluidwithin the.

will be reduced. When the pressure with- 1n. the chamber 12 drops, .thepiston 11 will respond by moving downwardly thereby moving the valvehead 20 downwardly until it again blanks the port 17 and then the systemis in equilibrium. On the other 7 hand, when. the pressure within thediaphragm of the actuating device he drops the valve head 20 movesdownwardly to-v wards theposition between the drain opening and the port17 thus establishing com-' munication, about the reduced portion of thestem, between the inlet port.15 and" the chamber 12 which results inbuilding up a greater pressure within the tube 18 and the chamber 12,and (this increase of pressure is communicated by the fluid through thepipe 22 to the receiving apparatus y. The I resultant upward movement ofthe piston will again reset the valve head 20 in neutral convenience, asa pressure weighing mecha-' nism or device. Owing to the spring behindthe piston 11, the movement" of this piston is a direct function of thepressure in the chamber 12.

It is, of course, obvious that my invention is susceptible ofvariousmodifications and changes which are within the spirit of my inventionwithout departing from the scope of. the following claims.

I claim as my invention: I

1. In combination, actuating means, a plurality of pressure responsivedevices, one of which comprises a fluid pressure weighing deviceprovided with a movable member actuated by variations in pressure, avalve controlling the pressure within said device, and an operativeconnection between said actuating means, movable member and valvearranged to place the system in equilibrium when the movement of themovable member of said fluid pressure weighing device is a function ofthe movement of the actuating means.

2. In eombinaton, actuating means, a plurality of pressure responsivedevices, one, at

least, of which consists of a fluid pressureweighing device providedwith a movable member actuated by variations in pressure, a valvecontrolling the admission and discharge of fluid to and from saidpressure responsive devices and in one position closing said devices,and an operative connection between said actuating means, movable memberand valve, and arranged to close said valve when the movement of saidmovable member of said fluid pressure weighing device is a function ofthe movement of said actuating means.

3. In combination, actuating means, a plurality of pressure responsivedevices having pressure chambers in free communication with each other,one, at least, of said devices comprising a fluid pressure weighingdevice provided with a movable member actuated by variations inpressure, a valve controlling the admission and discharge of fluid underpressure to and from said chambers, and in one position closing saidchambers, and an operative connection between said actuating means,movable member and valve arranged to place the system inequilibrium-when said movable member-has been brought into apredetermined relation to the movement of said actuating means.

4. In combination, actuating means, a plurality of/pressure responsivedevices spaced from one another and having chambers inopencommunication, one, at least, of said devices having a movablemember actuated by variations in pressure and constituting a weighingelement for determining the pressure in the chamber of that device, avalve controlling the fluid pressure within said chambers, and afloating lever operatively connected to said actuating means, movablemember and valve.

5. In combinatiomactuating means, a plurality of pressure responsivedevices spaced apart and having fluid pressure chambers in opencommunication with each other, one of said devices being provided with amovable member actuated by variations in pressure and constituting aweighing element for determining the pressure within the chamber of thatdevice, a valve controlling the admission and discharge of fluid to andfrom said devices, and in one position closing said devices, and afloating lever s'o operatively connected to said actuating means,movable member and valve that said movable memher has a predeterminedposition for each I corresponding position of said actuating means withthe valve in position closing said devices. i

6.'In combination, actuating means, a weighing device comprising acylinder, a piston within said cylinder, a spring behind said piston,and a fluid pressure chamber in front of the same, a valve controllingthe admission and discharge of fluid to and from said chamber, apressure responsive device spaced from said weighing device 'and havinga chamber in free, unobstructed communication with the chamber of saidweighing device, and a floating lever operatively connected to saidactuating -means, piston and valve.

7. In combination, actuating means consisting of a pressure responsivedevice, a second fluid pressure responsive device, and valve means forcontrolling the pressure of a fluid on the second fluid pressureresponsive device and on other pressure responsive de vices connected tothe same conduit system,

MAYNARD 1). CHURCH.

